Wall-switch-mounted extension operator for toggle switch

ABSTRACT

This amusement device enables a small child to actuate the operating lever of a toggle switch by swinging an imitation double-pole single-throw knife switch having knurled or toothed quadrant gears on the inner ends of its blades meshing with correspondingly-knurled or toothed gears rotatably mounted in a flanged casing bolted to the toggle switch. Pivoted to the peripheries of the casing-mounted gears are the lower ends of links, the upper ends of which are pivoted to a slide containing a vertical coupling slot, through which the wall switch operating lever projects. In a modification, the knife switch blades carry quadrant gears which are of approximately half the radii of the casing-mounted gears such that an approximately 180 degree swing of the knife switch blades produces an approximately 90 degree travel of the wall switch lever.

United States Patent 1 Velez I WALL-SWITCH-MOUNTED EXTENSION OPERATORFOR TOGGLE SWITCH [76] Inventor: Phillip G. Velez, 32098 Riverdale,

Mount Clemens, Mich. 48043 [22] Filed: Dec. 23, 1971 [21] Appl. No.:211,747

Primary Examiner-Robert K. Schaefer Assistant ExaminerWilliam J. SmithAttorney-Willis Bugbee June 26, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT This amusement deviceenables a small child to actuate the operating lever of a toggle switchby swinging an imitation double-pole single-throw knife switch havingknurled or toothed quadrant gears on the. inner ends of its bladesmeshing with correspondingly-knurled or toothed gears rotatably mountedin a flanged casing bolted to the toggle switch. Pivoted to theperipheries of the casing-mounted gears are the lower ends of links, theupper ends of which are pivoted to a slide containing a verticalcoupling slot, through which the wall switch operating lever projects.In a modification, the knife switch blades carry quadrant gears whichare of approximately half the radii of, the casing-mounted gears suchthat an approximately 180 degree swing of the knife switch bladesproduces an approximately 90 degree travel of the wall switch lever.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures WALL-SWITCH-MOUNTED EXTENSION OPERATOR FORTOGGLE SWITCH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Hitherto toggle switchoperators have been provided wherein tilting of a finger lever orrotation of a knob shifts a link coupled to the switch lever, alsowherein separate off" and on pull cords pull, in opposite directions, aslide coupled to the switch lever.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention resides in the provision of a toyknife switch, the blades of which are geared to a rotary disc having anoff-center pivot to which .is connected the lower end of a link, theupper end of which is connected to a slide having a slot fitting overthe toggle switch lever so as to shift that lever in response toswinging of the switch blades.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cover-plate-mounted extension operatorfor a toggle wall switch, according to one form of the invention, withthe knife switch blades and other moving parts in mid position with theblades midway between the on and off positions (shown in dotted lines);

FIG. 2 is a vertical section, upon an enlarged scale, taken along theline 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section upon a reduced scale, taken at right anglesto the section of FIG. 2, upon the line 33 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section similar to the lower portion ofFIG. 2 but showing a modification wherein the switch blade gears are ofone-half the diameter of the casing gears for producing a ninetydegreeswing on the toggle switch lever for a one hundred eighty degree swingof the knife switch blades.

Referring to the drawing in detail,.FIGS. l and 2 show a wall switchextension operator, generally designated 10, for moving the actuatinglever 12 of a conventional wall mounted toggle switch 14 with the usualmounting flanges or tabs 16 which are secured to the wall W in theconventional manner. For the purpose of the present invention the shortscrews (not shown.) which secured the facia plate (notshown) to theswitch 14 have been removed with or without the facia plate and replacedby long screws 18 threaded into the same screw holes 19. The screws 18serve to secure the casing 20 of the extension operator to thewallmounted toggle switch 14.

The casing (FIGS. 1 and 2) is in the form of a shallow open-topped boxwith a bottom wall or base 22, side walls 24 and end walls 26, thecasing 20 being preferably formed as a stamping with the walls 24 and 26integral with the base 22. Secured to and projecting in a forwarddirection from the vertical base 22 near the upper end wall 26 are twolaterally-spaced switchblade-holding frictional detent clips 28 (FIG.I), each consisting of a pair of narrowly spaced spring fingers 30separated from one another at their rearward ends by spacers 32 in sucha manner that the spring fingers 30 yieldingly and frictionally engagethe elongated flat blade arms 34 of the U-shaped movable knife switchmember, generally designated 36, consisting of the blade arms 34, across bar 38 interconnecting the arms 34, and a handle or knob 40secured to the cross bar 38 by a screw 42.

The blades 34 of the movable knife switch member 36 at its inner endsare drilled at their inner ends to receive pivot pins or fasteners 44 bywhich it is pivotally mounted on mounting lugs 46 projecting outwardfrom and secured to the base 22 of the casing 20. The inner ends 48 ofthe switch blades 34 are circularly arcuate and are knurled or toothedto interengage with the correspondingly knurled or toothed peripheries50 (FIG. 2) of toothed gears or knurled wheels 52 of approximately thesame radii. The latter are rotatably mounted on shafts or pins 54 whichin turn are mounted on and project toward one another from the sidewalls 24 of the casing 20.

Mounted on and projecting toward one another from the gears 50 near theperipheries thereof are crank pins 56 upon which are pivotally mountedthelooped lower ends 57 of connecting rods or links 58 which pass upwardthrough apertures 59 in angle guide arms 60 welded or otherwise securedto the inner sides of the side walls 24 and terminate in bent upper ends61 pass ing through apertures 62 in the opposite outer ends of a slide64 (FIG. 3). The slide 64 is provided at its mid portion with avertically-elongated coupling slot 66 having a width approximately thesame as the width of the toggle switch actuating lever 12 and a lengthapproximately twice its width. The vertical length of the slot 66 issuch that its upper and lower ends 68 and 70 are separated from oneanother by a distance which will cause the cross slide 64 to undergosuch lost motion as will result in an approximately degree swing of thetoggle switch operating lever 12 through a distance of approximatelyone-half inch in response to an approximately degree swing of the knifeswitch member 36.

In the installation of the wall switch extension operafor 10, let it beassumed that the installer optionally removes the cover plate or faciaplate (not shown) of the wall-mounted toggle switch 14, but does removethe short screws holding it in place, and that the switch lever 12 is inits lowermost off position. With the switch blade member 36 swungdownward into its lowermost of position, the installer then places thecasing 20 of the extension operator 10 against the wall W and lines upthe holes 72 in the base 22 of the casing 20 with the screw holes 19 ofthe switch 14 and inserts the long screws 18 after passing the slot 66of the slide 64 over the toggle switch actuating lever 12. The installerthen tightens the screws 18 so as to bolt the extension operator 10firmly to the wall W.

In the operation of the wall switch extension operator 10, let it firstbe assumed that the switch blade member 36 is in its lowermost verticalof position as shown in the lowermost dotted line position thereof inFIG. 2.

In this position the toggle switch lever 12 is also in its lowermostdotted line of position of FIG. 2. To shift the toggle switch lever 12upward through its midposition solid-line location to its uppermost onposition shown in the uppermost dotted lines thereof, the operatorgrasps the knob 40 and swings the switch blade member 36 upward throughthe solid line mid position thereof (FIG. 2) approximately 180 degreesto its uppermost dotted line position with the upper ends of the switchblades engaging the detent spring fingers 30. In so doing he causes theknurled or toothed arcuate end portion 48 of each switch blade 34 torotate the gears 52 by reason of the interengagement of the teeth orknurled'portions 48 and 50 with one another. The

rotation of the gears 52 causes their crank pins 56 to move from theirlowermost dotted line positions to. their uppermost dotted linepositionslFlG. 2), consequently moving the connecting rods 58 and crossslide 64 upward. During the initial part of the upward movement of thecross slide 64, the lower edge 70 of the slot 66 moves upward in lostmotion until it engages the toggle switch operating lever 12, whereuponits continued upward motion shifts the toggle switch operating lever 12upward into its upper dotted line or on" position.

The modified wall switch extension operator, generally designated 110shown in fragmentary vertical section in FIG. 4 isgenerally of the sameconstruction as thetoggle switch operator shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, andcorresponding parts of substantially the same construction are thereforedesignated by the same reference numerals. On the other hand, parts ofdifferent construction are designated by the same reference numeralsincreased by 100. In particular, the diameters of the arcuate gear teeth148 on the inner ends of the switch blades 134 are approximatelyone-half of the diameters of the gears 152 and the slot (not shown inFIG. 4) corresponding to the slot 66 is shorter, so that it does notproduce a lost motion connection with the wall switch operating lever12. As a consequence, when the switch blades 134 are swung upward l80degrees from their lowermost of positions to their uppermost onpositions analogous to the corresponding dotted line positions shown inFIG. 2 into engagement with the spring fingers of the detent clips 28,the larger gears 152 rotate only about one-half the circumferentialdistances of the smaller arcuate gear teeth 148, namely about 90degrees, thereby causing the crank pins 56 to move upward approximately90degrees. This action causes the connecting rods 58 to move the crossslide 64 upward in substantially constant engagement with the toggleswitch operating lever 12 to move it approximately 90 degrees from itslowermost off position to its uppermost on" position, thereby turning onthe lights in the room- It will be understood that in an actualdouble-pole single-throw knife switch used in closing and openingelectrical circuits directly, the cross bar 38 is a separate member fromthe blade arms 34 and is of electrically insulating material in order toprevent a short circuit. As the present invention is a toy, however, andas no part of it actually carries electric current, such insulation isunnecessary. In order to impart realism to its appearance, nevertheless,the cross bar 38 in the actual toy switch operator 10 would preferablybe coated with a suitable pigment of distinguishing color, such as, forexample, black enamel to simulate the black insulating material used inreal knife switches.

Since in the modern wall-mounted mercury switch the up" position of theactuating lever 12 is the on position of the switch for closing theelectrical circuit, the switch operator It) employs the reversingmechanism shown in the drawings in order .to move the wall switchactuating lever 12 upward while the knob 40 of the knife switch member36 is moved downward, and vice versa as indicated by the arrows anddotted lines in FIG. 2.

I claim:

l. A knife-switch-simulating extension operator for shifting the toggleswitch lever of a wall switch having a removable screw-attached faciaplate, said extension operator comprising a casing having a base,

means for securing said casing to the switch,

a slide reciprocably mounted in said casing for motion along a verticalpath of travel adjacent said base and having a coupling portion adaptedto engage the switch lever,

an elongated knife switch blade means pivotally mounted on said base andswingable relatively thereto in an arcuate path between an upper on"position and a lower off" position corresponding to energization anddeenergization respectively of the switch,

detent means for yieldingly holding said switch blade means in its upperon position, a

link means connected to said slide and extending downward therefrom, I

and gearing operatively connecting said switch blade means to said linkmeans and responsive to upward swinging of said switch blade means tomove said link means and slide upward and consequently shift the switchlever from its lower of position to its upper on position.

2. A knife-switch-simulating extension operator, according to claim 1,wherein said switch blade means includes a pair of switch blade, membersdisposed in spaced parallel relationship and a cross memberinterconnecting said blade-simulating members.

3. A knife-switch-simulating extension operator, according to claim 1,wherein said gearing includes a peripherally-roughenedcircularly-arcuate driving portion associated with said switch blademeans in spaced relationship to the pivotal mounting thereof on saidbase, and crank means pivotally mounted on said base in operativeconnection with said link means and having a roughenedcircularly-arcuate peripheral driven portion disposed in drivenengagement with said arcuate driving portion.

4. A knife-switch-simulating extension operator, according to claim 1,wherein said slide is horizontally elongated with said coupling portiondisposed intermediate the ends thereof and wherein said link meansincludes a pair of links disposed in spaced parallel relationship andconnected at their upper ends to said slide.

5. A knife-switch-simulating extension operator, according to claim 1,wherein said coupling means includes a vertically-elongated slot in saidslide providing a lost-motion connection between said slide and thetoggle switch actuator such that an approximately 180 degree motion ofsaid knife switch lever simulator produces an approximately degreemotion of the toggle switch actuator.

6. A knife-switch-simulating extension operator, according to claim 1,wherein said mechanism includes a peripherally-roughenedcircularly-arcuate driving portion associated with said switch leversimulator disposed at a predetermined radius from the pivotal mountingthereof on said base and crank means pivotally mounted on said base inoperative connection with said link means and having a roughenedcircularlyarcuate peripheral driven portion disposed at a radius fromthe pivotal mounting thereof a plurality of times of said predeterminedradius and disposed in driven engagement with said driving portion suchthat an approximately degree motion of said knife switch lever simulatorproduces an approximately 90 degree motion of the toggle switchactuator.

1. A knife-switch-simulating extension operator for shifting the toggleswitch lever of a wall switch having a removable screwattached faciaplate, said extension operator comprising a casing having a base, meansfor securing said casing to the switch, a slide reciprocably mounted insaid casing for motion along a vertical path of travel adjacent saidbase and having a coupling portion adapted to engage the switch lever,an elongated knife switch blade means pivotally mounted on said base andswingable relatively thereto in an arcuate path between an upper''''on'''' position and a lower ''''off'''' position corresponding toenergization and deenergization respectively of the switch, detent meansfor yieldingly holding said switch blade means in its upper ''''on''''position, link means connected to said slide and extending downwardtherefrom, and gearing operatively connecting said switch blade means tosaid link means and responsive to upward swinging of said switch blademeans to move said link means and slide upward and consequently shiftthe switch lever from its lower ''''off'''' position to its upper''''on'''' position.
 2. A knife-switch-simulating extension operator,according to claim 1, wherein said switch blade means includes a pair ofswitch blade members disposed in spaced parallel relationship and across member interconnecting said blade-simulating members.
 3. Aknife-switch-simulating extension operator, according to claim 1,wherein said gearing includes a peripherally-roughenedcircularly-arcuate driving portion associated with said switch blademeans in spaced relationship to the pivotal mounting thereof on saidbase, and crank means pivotally mounted on said base in operativeconnection with said link means and having a roughenedcircularly-arcuate peripheral driven portion disposed in drivenengagement with said arcuate driving portion.
 4. Aknife-switch-simulating extension operator, according to claim 1,wherein said slide is horizontally elongated with said coupling portiondisposed intermediate the ends thereof and wherein said link meansincludes a pair of links disposed in spaced parallel relationship andconnected at their upper ends to said slide.
 5. Aknife-switch-simulating extension operator, according to claim 1,wherein said coupling means includes a vertically-elongated slot in saidslide providing a lost-motion connection between said slide and thetoggle switch actuator such that an approximately 180 degree motion ofsaid knife switch lever simulator produces an approximately 90 degreemotion of the toggle switch actuator.
 6. A knife-switch-simulatingextension operator, according to claim 1, wherein said mechanismincludes a peripherally-roughened circularly-arcuate driving portionassociated with said switch lever simulator disposed at a predeterminedradius from the pivotal mounting thereof on said base and crank meanspivotally mounted on said base in operative connection with said linkmeans and having a roughened circularly-arcuate peripheral drivenportion disposed at a radius from the pivotal mounting thereof aplurality of times of said predetermined radius and disposed in drivenengagement with said driving portion such that an approximately 180degree motion of said knife switch lever simulator produces anapproximately 90 degree motion of the toggle switch actuator.